Restoration of Memorial Tombs of Anatolian Seljuk Sultans in Konya
Restoration of Anatolian Seljuk sultans' sandukas, a type of
cenotaph placed over the original graves of the distinguished people in
Turkish-Islamic tradition, in Alaeddin Mosque has begun in the central Turkish
province of Konya. Following a general restoration at the mosque, one of the
legacies of the Sultanate of Rum, the work to bring the cenotaphs and the
mosque’s mihrab, a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque indicating the
qibla – the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that
Muslims should face when praying – to their former state was launched.
The construction of Alaeddin Mosque was started on the
current Alaeddin hill during the time of Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Mesud I. It
took its final form, which is very close to the mosque’s current appearance,
and was opened for worship during the time of Kayqubad I.
The courtyard of the mosque contains the tombs of the
Anatolian Seljuk rulers who made great sacrifices to make Anatolia their
homeland, including Mesud I, Kilij Arslan II, Suleiman II, Kaykhusraw I,
Kayqubad I, Kaykhusraw II, Kilij Arslan IV and Kaykhusraw III.
The mihrab of Alaeddin Mosque, known as the “Mosque of the
Throne,” and the tiles on the cenotaphs of eight Anatolian Seljuk rulers in its
courtyard are being restored now. The mihrab and cenotaphs, made with the
mosaic tile technique often used by the Anatolian Seljuks, are being
reprocessed by experts like pieces of a puzzle.
Nurullah Osmanlı, Konya Regional Director of Foundations,
told that Alaeddin Mosque and the kümbet, a dome-shaped mausoleum from Seljuk
architecture, in its courtyard were restored by the General Directorate of
Foundations between 2014 and 2019, and now it is the turn of the sultans’
cenotaphs in the kümbet and mihrab tiles to be restored. Emphasizing that they
are applying the tile technique used about 800 years ago for the restoration,
Osmanlı said: “While restoring the eight cenotaphs, we will also add tiles on
the ones that lost their tiles.”
